Means for and method of designating document-files



(No Model.)

G. P. AISHTON. FAUGET FILTER Patented Oct. 25, 1892.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/l Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GFORGE'H. BALL, OF MENANDS, NEW YORK.

MEANS FOR AND METHOD OF DESIGNATING DOCUMENT-FILES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 485,025, dated October25, 1892. Application filed November 27, 1891. Serial No. 413,261. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. BALL, of Menands, in the county of Albanyand State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements inMeans for and Method of Designating Document-Files, of which thefollowing is a specification.

In many business establishments and government departments documentsclassified by either localities or subjects are required to be filed sothat a ready access can be had to any series of said documents, thefiles being usually kept for reference in drawers or pigeon-holes; andit has been customary to affix designating-labels on an outer face ofone of the pieces of binders board placed on the sides of each packageas a protection to the documents and to give stability to the pack;ages; but said labels by being placed on the face of the package becomehidden from view when the package is placed, with others, in a drawer orpigeon-hole, and the finding of a required package is often onlyaccomplished with difficulty,even when the documents are classified andarranged alphabetically. This difficulty is increased when bycarelessness or design a package is placed in a drawer or pigeon-holeout of its proper order.

I am aware that binders or side pieces have heretofore been used for thepurpose of holding packages of documents or other papers by tying saidbinders or side pieces by means of tape or string to opposite sides of apackage. Therefore I do not broadly claim the use of such binders orside pieces for such purposes.

The object of my invention is to afford facilities for discovering at aglance the required package and for detecting a package misplaced fromits proper order. This object I attain by the novel method andcombinations of parts hereinafter fully specified, and more particularlypointed out in the claims, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, being herein referred to, form part of thisspecification.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of several packages ofdocuments collated in respect to geographical localities and having mydesignating-clip attached to the upper edge of one of the binders boardsof each package, as when arranged for placing in a drawer. Fig. 2 is anend elevation of a portion of one of said binders boards with adesignating-clip attached thereto, and Figs. 3 and 4 are detachedperspective views of my designating-clips.

As represented in the drawings, Aindicates the packages of documentswhich are con tained between side pieces or binders B, preferably madeof binders boards or some other light material that is sufficientlyrigid to maintain the documents in a flattened condition and to supportthe package in an erect position when required. Each of said packages isfastened, as at O, by means of a tape, elastic band, or other suitablemeans for securing the same in a proper manner.

D indicates my designating-clip, which is attachable to an edge of oneof the side'pieces B, either a longitudinal edge, as shown in Fig. 1, ora transverse edge, according to circumstances, and said clip may be madeof metal or of card-board, to be permanently or detachably attached tosaid side piece. Said clip consists of panel 1, which is arranged to liefiatwise on the edge of the side piece B, a pendent lug 2, which bearsagainst one face of said side piece, and a second lug 3, which bearsagainst the opposite face of the side piece B. The panel 1 is adapted toreceive a legend of a character that indicates the subject-mattercontained in the package, and said legend may be stamped, engraved,printed, or in any other suitable manner applied to said panel.

The clip D has its pendent lug 2 made flush with one edge of the panel1, so that the latter will not project beyond the outer face of thebinder B to interfere with an adjoining package, and the lug 3 is bentinwardly toward the lug 2, so that the panel 1 will be offset at thatside to overlap the package of documents to which it is attached. Bythis construction each package is rendered readily removable from thedrawer or pigeon-hole without interference with other packages, saidpanel and lugs being integral.

When the designating-clip D is made of card-board, it may be permanentlyadhered to I00 the side piece B byapplying an adherent material to thelugs 2 and 3 and rubbing said lugs until the adhesion is effected.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The method of designating documentfiles, which consists in formingthe tiles into packages corresponding to the several subject-mattersthereof, labeling the edge of each package, and arranging the packagesside by side, so that the labels shall mark the boundaries of therespective packages, substantially V a suitable legend for indicatingthe subjectmatter of the contents of a package to which the device isapplied, said panel being bent perpendicularly to form a finger which isintegral therewith and having its other face flush with thecorresponding edge of said panel, the latter being arranged to overlaponto the edge of a package of documents, so

that its outer edge will define the boundary of said package,substantially as described.

4. In a means for arranging and designating packages of document-files,the combination of a supporting-board therefor and a clip attachedthereto, having its outer finger flush with the board and carrying atright angles to the board a panel arranged to carrya suitable legend andto overlap thepackage and mark the boundary thereof, substantially asdescribed.

GEORGE H. BALL.

- Witnesses WM, 11. Low, S. 13.; BRE ER.

